Life in Raleigh NC has been fairly predictable and charming up until recently. Now a new housing trend is emerging in the core neighborhoods. Consider this your front stoop where we can gather as neighbors, look at the teardown phenomena and discuss how infill impacts our community.

Thursday, August 16, 2007

Comment received by email from JZ, who is concerned about the significant architectural losses in downtown Raleigh:

As we have witnessed the exciting and prosperous changes occurring here in our capital city, there has been tremendous losses left and right.

Lost in the early trickle: Milton Small's Office building at the corner of Davie and McDowell Streets, turned into a parking lot, now presently awaiting the cranes and crews to erect the new Empire Properties venture with the County, "The L-Building".

Recently Lost: A good portion of the 300 Block of Wilmington Street to Phase II of Progress Energy's Real Estate mogulship.

And most upsetting: the soon to be lost: The former First Federal Bank Building, presently known as the Garland Jones Office Building at the corner of Martin and Salisbury Streets, will be razed for the Wake County Courthouse complex. This is the ONLY High-Modern Structure left in the downtown core, and its a specimen of talented design, quality materials and quality care.

The historic Dillon warehouses will be sacrificed to accommodate the potential future TTA rail line and stations destroying the "West End Warehouse District". This district has been conveniently renamed the "Depot District" because that will be the only building left after the west side improves. And Ted Reynolds will sacrifice the distinguished structure, presently occupied by the Raleigh Police Department at the corner of Hillsborough and Dawson Streets once he gets underway with his high-rise development on that block.

JZ is encouraging OTT to broaden awareness to include the developments in the commercial areas ITB.

Welcome

This blog originates from an older community in Raleigh NC. We are experiencing at least our fair share of growing pains, perhaps even someone else's. "Inside the Beltline" is a term used around here; it refers to the circular highway that is used to delineate "old" Raleigh from "new" Raleigh. Geography is failing us now, old Raleigh is being replaced at a rapid rate by new Raleigh, right here ITB, and beyond.

New Raleigh is characterized by its lack of connection with the existing surroundings. In our area, the new houses are large, the lots are small, the prices are higher than the roof, and those are out of proportion too. These houses are built in settled diverse neighborhoods, areas that have developed a character all their own. One by one this character is being removed and replaced. Our landfill runneth over with the craftsmanship of another era.

I am fortunate to have spent my adult life in one such older neighborhood, one that from time to time was not so pricey, but has remained stable for its 70 year life. We have enjoyed renewed energy as others have found our little neighborhood, bringing in creative renovations and diverse neighbors. But we are in a time of transition, and what we as a community accept today as the norm could determine the future for the old neighborhoods, the people in them, and the look and feel of our fine city herself.

My perspective is from central Raleigh, and a lot of posts will originate from here. I hope established neighborhoods throughout the city will feel at home here too. After all, we are all in this together.--Fallonia

Correspondents

Fallonia Parker

I am a long-time Raleigh resident in one of our modest neighborhoods. My elders taught me to conserve our resources, and we have. They never told me someone would want to throw away a house.

Irena DortonA Raleigh architectural historian, Irena is a devotee of Raleigh's mid-twentieth century modern architecture. The namesake of Dorton Arena, Raleigh's first contribution to the advancement of world engineering in 1950, Irena delights in discovering examples of progressive design from Raleigh's post World War II era. She believes that these built landmarks of "The Greatest Generation" help to define Raleigh as a fascinating city.